Clinical collaboration

Translational research is facilitated by the co-localisation of a highly research active University with major strengths in biomedical research and one of the UK’s premier “super” hospitals, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital at University Hospitals Birmingham (UHB), with state-of-the-art patient-focused research facilities, as well as the new development of the first integrated, stand-alone dental hospital and dental school to be built in the UK for almost 40 years.

Together with other affiliated NHS Trusts, this provides access to one of the largest patient catchment areas in Europe (5.5 million), with 800,000 patients being seen per year at the QEH alone. We have formalised this alliance of shared research, training and patient care objectives with UHB and Birmingham Children’s Hospital through Birmingham Health Partners, but continue to work with other outstanding local NHS partners including Birmingham Women’s Hospital, Heart of England, the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and Sandwell & West Birmingham. This is part of a broader network consolidated in the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network. Our success in effectively integrating our research with NHS-based research activities is also reflected by the fact that 16 of 21 NIHR Comprehensive Local Research Network (CLRN) leads for Birmingham & Black Country are University of Birmingham staff.

Our applied work is often user-initiated, with clinicians – including both public health and primary care clinicians, and external collaborators – identifying research issues that will provide greatest potential benefit to patients and other clients within the NHS.